Blood Of The Innocent
by obsessedwithstabler
Summary: Olivia’s laughter died and fear suddenly turned her blood to ice in her veins. “Eli!” Her long legs moved harder than they had ever moved in her life. "No!"
1. Chapter 1

I have been in the grip of a tough block for a while, but after watching a dozen EO videos on youtube, I finally managed to get the creative juices flowing! I'm really excited about this story because I haven't really done one like it, so yay! Enjoy, and please remember to review!

**To Kaydence Rei, for finally finding my left shoe! YAY!!!**

Disclaimer: Not mine!

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Olivia Benson laughed as she pushed Eli on the swings at the playground. She had been extremely surprised when Kathy Stabler had called her out of the blue on her day off and asked her to babysit, but of course she hadn't refused. She worshipped the little boy that she had witnessed come into the world, and would never turn down the offer to spend time with him.

"More!" the two year old squealed, pumping his chubby little legs in the air. "More, Wivvy!"

She gladly obliged and pushed the swing a little harder. Sometimes it was impossible for her to believe that two years had passed since Eli's birth. To her, it was only yesterday when she had held him for the first time in her arms; just a squirmy, red little creature with a perfectly functioning set of lungs. Had the circumstances been more…pleasant, she would have relished the contact, and secretly reveled in the fact that she had been the first to hold him.

But as it was, his mother had been dying beside her, and she had been powerless to help her. So she had held the squalling newborn and tried to reassure him that everything would be okay, somehow.

A few feet away, a little girl ran away from her older brother, screeching at the top of her lungs as he chased her with a frog clutched in his little hands. Olivia laughed and pushed her hair out of her face. So many times in her youth she had wanted a sibling to torment and be tormented by, like the two children who ran in front of her. She had wanted someone to confide in, someone who was always happy to see her.

But it had never happened, and she had always felt cheated because of that.

Then Elliot Stabler came into her life, and suddenly she didn't feel so alone. There was an immediate connection between them that she couldn't deny, practically from the moment that Cragen had introduced them. He was married with four children that he adored, and she was surprised the first time that he invited her to dinner to meet all of them. There was some tension between Kathy and herself, but she formed bonds with each of the Stabler children right away.

Another shriek brought her back to the present, and she happily watched little Eli bravely wave his hands for a second, then latch back onto the chain links. She had always tried not to play favorites, but when Eli was born, she couldn't help it. She had been the first to hold him, the first to soothe him. She had been there for his first breath, and she had been the first one to kiss his tiny head.

There was no doubt that she loved all of the Stabler children, but Eli had her wrapped around his chubby, sticky little fingers.

Suddenly Eli squirmed to get down, and Olivia gently halted the swing, then helped the little guy down. Immediately Eli took off, laughing as his chubby little legs carried him away. She shook her head and took off after him, easily keeping up with the golden haired toddler.

When he realized that she was chasing him, Eli shrieked and turned, trying to run faster to get away from her. "No, Wivvy!"

She laughed and let him get a little further away, then caught up with him again and called his name.

Eli continued to run, his little sneakers suddenly hitting the cement of the street.

Olivia's laughter died and fear suddenly turned her blood to ice in her veins. "Eli!" Her legs moved harder than they had ever moved in her life.

A few yards away, a driver pounded on the horn and slammed on the brakes in an attempt to stop.

She couldn't breathe, couldn't think except to get to Eli. Her arm extended, and her fingertips brushed against the material of his little jacket. Closing them, she roughly pulled him out of the way just as the car skidded to a stop.

Shocked and confused, Eli started to wail at the abrupt end to their game.

Gasping, Olivia roughly pulled the little boy into her arms and held him tight, sitting on the ground. "Eli, you never play in the street! Never!" she admonished, kissing his head. "The street is bad!"

The little boy buried his face in her neck and cried at her anger and harsh tone.

Finally she got to her feet, still holding Eli tight as she backed away from the edge of the street. Adrenaline still coursed through her veins, and her heart raced violently against her ribcage. If something had happened to the little guy that she loved so much… She kissed his head and ran her shaking hand through his soft hair.

Ahead of them, the two children that she had observed earlier were running toward the slides, and two mothers sat on a nearby bench. She slowly started to relax and breathe.

Until the sound of gunshots erupted in the chilly fall air.

Olivia's first instinct was to run toward the civilians, but Eli was in her arms and she didn't have her badge or her gun. The two children screamed for their mother in fear, and Olivia twisted away from the shots and dropped to the ground, shielding Eli's tiny body with her own. Protecting him was her first priority, above all else.

Three more shots rang out, and Olivia curled tightly around the screaming child.

Finally an eerie silence settled over the park, and Eli squirmed under his aunt. "Wivvy?" He managed to wiggle his little body out from under her. Then he sat up on his knees and pushed at her with his tiny hands. "Wivvy!" She didn't answer his anxious cries, and finally he gave up and curled into her side, figuring that she had decided to take a nap because she was sleepy.

The only thing that didn't make sense to his little mind was the red, sticky water that was on his hands.

TBC...

A/N: *hides under a rock* Review!


	2. I'll Come For You

This chapter would have been up yesterday, but for some reason the doc manager freaked out and wouldn't let me. But I guess it was a good thing, because I wound up making the chapter longer. So yay! Thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far, and I can't wait to get more of everyone's feedback! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Not mine!

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Elliot Stabler always hated when he and his partner had separate days off. It didn't happen often, but when it did he was usually on ass duty or paired up with someone he didn't work with as well. Today it was the latter, and he was working with some newbie who didn't know crap about this job. Logically he understood that, but it didn't keep him from missing his partner of over eleven years any less. She was his better half, the reason that he still had his sanity after all these years. He silently promised himself that after work, he would stop by her place and find out how her day off went.

It never occurred to him that that might be somewhat inappropriate. Because with them, it really wasn't. The late night talks, the surprise visits accompanied by bags of Chinese food…

He absently flipped through the file in front of him, then scrubbed his hand over his face.

Suddenly Cragen's office door opened, and the captain pointed at Elliot. "Stabler, Ellison, there was a shooting down at Central Park. Get your asses down there, right now."

Elliot nodded and got to his feet, grabbing his keys. "I drive," he informed his temporary partner.

They left the squadroom, and by the time they got to the park, there were ambulances and beat cops already on the scene. Elliot got out of the car. "What do we got?"

One of the other officers replied, "Some crackhead opened fire on a bunch of moms and their kids. Thought it would be a real hoot."

"Anyone hurt?"

"Just one. One of the moms flagged me down right after it all went down, and by the time I got here, there was one woman already on the ground. So I called for a bus."

Elliot looked around as the ambulance pulled away and sped down the street. "She have a kid?"

"Yeah." He pointed to a female officer who had her back turned to them. "A little guy."

"Was the kid hurt?"

Andrews shook his head. "He was covered in blood, so we had a medic check him out. Not a scratch on him. Must've been the mom's."

"Did she have any ID on her?" Elliot started to walk toward the female officer who was holding the distraught child.

"Nothing. And she was unconscious the entire time. One of the other moms saw what happened." He motioned to three woman who were huddled close and holding their children tight. "She said that the vic dropped to the ground and shielded her son with her body."

Elliot nodded. That would have been his first reaction, too. To protect his child. It was only natural. He walked around the female officer. "Detective-" His heart came to a sudden stop in his chest as he took in the blond hair, the squeaky cries that were all too familiar…

"Eli!" He took the little boy out of the officer's arms and held him tight.

As soon as he realized that he was in his father's arms, Eli started to cry harder and flung his arms around Elliot's neck. "Daddy!"

The female officer looked surprised. "Officer Bryson. Is this your child?"

Elliot nodded shakily as he looked around. It was Kathy's weekend with Eli, so she had to have been there… "I'm Stabler, and this is my son, Eli." He gently patted his little son's back and kissed his head. "This was my ex wife's weekend to have him."

Bryson nodded. "And her name is?"

"Kathy Williams." He had a hard time saying that, after more than twenty years of introducing to everyone her as Kathy Stabler, his wife. But that hadn't been the case for over a month now. Not since the divorce was finalized and any hope of keeping his family together was crushed forever.

She nodded. "Can you describe her for me?"

"She's, uh, blond, five foot two-"

Bryson held up her hand and shook her head. "The woman we found him with was a brunette."

Elliot's brow furrowed. "Kathy… hasn't dyed her hair… She must have gotten her sister to take him, or a sitter…" His gut was screaming that something was wrong, but he tried to ignore it.

Eli continued to weep. "Wivvy, Daddy!"

Elliot shushed him softly. "We'll go see Livvy soon, son," he promised, knowing that Olivia would welcome their visit with open arms. Even now, he was amazed at the bond that his partner and youngest child shared. But she had been there at his birth, and she never refused the chance to spend time with him. So why was he so surprised? He knew that it sometimes made Kathy uncomfortable, but Olivia had no family, and he knew that it would hurt both Eli and Olivia if he refused to let them spend time together. He pulled out his cell phone and looked at Bryson. "I'm going to call my ex and find out who brought Eli down here."

She nodded as Elliot dialed Kathy's number and waited impatiently for her to answer.

She didn't answer the phone, and after reaching her voicemail, he closed his phone. "She's not answering…" Her phone was probably off, one of the kids needed her for something… She was fine.

Bryson laid a reassuring hand on his arm. "The medics assured us your son is fine. Why don't you take him home?" she suggested gently. "Your partner can handle things from here."

He swallowed the urge to tell her that Ellison wasn't his partner, and instead nodded. "I-"

A car squealed to a stop a few feet away, but Elliot didn't look up until he recognized the woman yelling.

"My son is here! Where is he?" Kathy yelled shrilly, and Elliot quickly jogged over to her.

"Kathy!"

Kathy pushed the officer away who was trying to hold her back. "Elliot!" She quickly took Eli out of his arms and hugged him tight, crying tears of relief.

Elliot ran a shaking hand through his hair as he tried to reassure her, and in a way, himself, that their son hadn't been touched. "He's fine, Kathy. The blood isn't his."

The blond eyed her son carefully, then hugged him again. "Thank God…" She looked at Elliot. "It was all over the news… As soon as I heard, I came here." She was clearly shaken up by everything, but was fighting to hold herself together.

Elliot nodded. "Kathy, he was found by the woman who brought him here. They say that she was hurt, but she had no I.D. on her. Perp probably stole her purse."

Kathy paled. "No…"

He took a big step closer, trying not to seem domineering. "Who was it, Kathy? Was she your sister? Did Shelly bring Eli here?"

She shook her head. "No… Shelly was busy…"

He shifted impatiently. "Then who was it, Kathy? Who did you call to bring him here?" he demanded.

"Olivia!" she finally blurted out. "I called Olivia and asked her to take him for a few hours! She must have brought him here… She knows he loves the park…"

Elliot's knees buckled as his little son called for Olivia again. Brunette… His stomach heaved as everything came together, and he saw it play out in his mind's eye. They had been playing, maybe on the swings, because his little son loved the swings and Olivia would give him the moon if she could… Shots ring out… She didn't have a gun, and if she hadn't had Eli, she still would have run toward the shots. But she had Eli… She would have protected him at any cost, and she had… Because she had Eli…

Kathy gasped when Elliot sank to his knees. "Elliot!" She knelt down beside him, still holding their son close. The last few years of their marriage had been hell, but she still loved him, even if she could no longer live with him. She still cared about him.

His broad shoulders shook as his mind continued to play out the scenario. She had probably been shot, and to protect Eli, to protect his son… she turned and hit the ground, covering his tiny body with her own in an effort to shield him… He groaned softly, gently brushing away Kathy's hand. Suddenly he had to see her. He had to see his partner. Trying not to vomit, he stumbled to his feet. Then he looked at Kathy. "Take Eli home. I have to go to the hospital."

Kathy nodded slowly, giving him a concerned look before turning and walking away.

He stood still for a moment, then jogged back over to Bryson. "Where did they take the vic?" he demanded shakily.

A confused look crossed her face. " They took her to Mercy General. Why?"

He didn't answer her question. Instead he nearly ran back to his car, ignoring his temporary partner shout his name. His real partner needed him. She had been injured protecting his son. He got into the car and sped away without a second thought to anyone or anything else. He had to get to his partner.

He had to get to Olivia.

TBC...

A/N: Ooh, El knows... Dun dun dun!! I have two more chapters written already, and since it's snowing here (we're far enough south that a little bit of snow cancels EVERYTHING that's going on) I'll probably have a couple more done soon. Thanks for reading, and please remember to review!!


	3. So What If It Hurts Me?

I had planned to cut this chapter in half, but I think everyone would have hanged me if I had. LOL. I was inspired after PC and Savoir last night, especially after the whole "You know your partner's hot for you." and her tending to his boo boos. Hehehehe. Oh, and how about that little Eli reference? I have to believe that she visits that little guy regularly. Well, enough of my rambling. Enjoy and please remember to review!

Disclaimer: Not mine!

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Elliot was at the hospital for less than twenty minutes when Cragen, Fin and Munch arrived. All three men wore expressions of worry and fear, and suddenly the titles of detective and captain were gone. They were a family, and one of their own was hurt and needed them. So they were there.

Cragen quietly approached Elliot, who was pacing near the back of the room. "How is she?"

Elliot paused and looked at Cragen. "I…don't know. No one has talked to me yet."

"What happened?"

The younger man groaned softly, scrubbing his hand over his face. "Kathy needed a babysitter, so she called Liv and asked her to take Eli. Of course Olivia said yes. She… she never refuses to spend time with him. And she knows that Eli loves the park, so she took him…" He shut his eyes tight against the wave of nausea that hit him. "Some lunatic opened fire, and Olivia didn't have her badge or her gun. So… so…"

Cragen nodded, gently placing a hand on Elliot's shoulder. "So she did the only thing she could. She protected your son."

Suddenly he was filled with impotent rage, and he didn't even understand why. "Yeah, and now she might… she might die."

Munch stepped up to Cragen's side. "Liv's a fighter, Elliot," he said certainly, removing his dark sunglasses in a rare sign of respect. "She'll get through this. You know she will."

Fin and Cragen nodded their agreement.

Shaking slightly, Elliot stepped back from them and resumed pacing. She had to be okay. She was tougher than all of them. She had gone through much worse than this, and she would come out of this alive and well.

Less than an hour later, while each man was trapped in his own thoughts, Elliot's eldest children arrived. He didn't seem to notice, so Cragen went to the four young Stablers and spoke softly to them.

"Your dad is pretty upset, kids. I don't know what your mom told you-"

"Everything," Maureen interrupted. "She told us that Olivia got shot protecting Eli."

"She saved my baby brother," Dickie inserted firmly as his twin sister hugged him and the two eldest girls nodded their agreement.

Cragen nodded slowly. "She did, and right now, we don't know how she is. So your dad is very upset. But I think he'd really like to see the four of you."

Maureen nodded and herded her younger siblings over to their father.

Munch, Fin and Cragen all watched as Elliot interacted with his children, but they could all see that his heart wasn't completely into it. As much as he loved his children, if Olivia didn't survive this, he would never be okay again.

The four children stayed with their father for a little while before Maureen finally led them out of the waiting room with a promise to call and check on Olivia's condition.

When they were all gone, Elliot withdrew into himself again, which was the worst thing he could do. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Olivia falling to the ground, blood spurting from her perfect body. He saw her eyes wide with pain and fear, and he could almost feel the warm blood that painted the ground beneath her. He heard her cry out in pain in his mind, and he could even see his son's frightened face when she didn't respond to his cries.

He buried his face in his hands and sighed shakily, fighting to keep his emotions from bubbling up to the surface. If he lost it now, there would be no way he could get it back.

Without a word, he stumbled to his feet and out of the waiting room, desperately in need of fresh air. He heard the other men calling his name, but he ignored them and nearly ran out of the hospital. Once he was outside, he found the nearest wall and rested his head against the cool bricks, groaning softly. His head was spinning, and for a moment, it was as though he lost consciousness. When he came to again, his knuckles were bloody and resembled raw hamburger meat, and he could barely catch his breath.

Out of breath and seeing spots, he panted and turned his back to the wall, sliding down to the ground. Passerbys looked at him with concern, but he waved them off when they asked if he was okay. He honestly didn't know, and he wouldn't until he saw those rich brown eyes and heard her satiny voice tell him that she was going to be okay. Because if he didn't…

He buried his face in his bloody hands and cried silent tears of anger, grief and helplessness.

If he didn't, his world would never be the same again.

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The hours passed with an excruciating slowness as the four men waited impatiently for word on Olivia. Other members of the squad occasionally stopped to see if there was any word on her condition, and Elliot's jaw clenched every time that Cragen patiently explained her doctor had not been out to see them.

No one knew if that was good news or not.

Finally, as the clock approached one in the morning, an exhausted man in bloody scrubs entered the waiting room. "Olivia Benson?"

Elliot, Munch, Fin and Cragen immediately got to their feet and surrounded the doctor, anxious for word of their fallen friend and colleague.

He looked at each of them, then at the file in his hand. "I'm Dr. Jennings, Ms. Benson's primary. Are any of you related to Ms. Benson?"

Elliot immediately stepped forward, his cerulean eyes bright with worry and grief. "She has no living family. We all work with her, and we're the closest thing to family she has."

He nodded slowly, accepting this. "Well, Ms. Benson is in critical condition. One bullet grazed her shoulder, another lodged itself in her back, dangerously close to her spine. We managed to extract that one with minimal bleeding. But the third did the most damage."

Elliot stifled a soft groan and pressed his fist against his mouth, not noticing the paternal hand that Cragen placed on his shoulder.

"It didn't exit her body. Instead, it traveled and did a great amount of damage to her vital organs. We extracted it, but it took us a while to get it under control." He sighed softly and closed the file. "The next twenty four hours will be extremely critical for her."

"But will she survive?" Munch cut in, rubbing his temple.

"I cannot say that with any certainty. She's in the Intensive Care Unit, on a respirator-"

"Why is she on a respirator?" Fin demanded angrily, hating that he felt so useless.

"Because her of her condition, we don't want her to work any harder than she has to. She doesn't need the respirator, but we would rather take some of the pressure off of her so that she can heal faster," the doctor explained patiently.

The four men exchanged looks, all feeling sick.

"I'm sorry, but for right now, I can only allow one visitor."

Cragen squeezed Elliot's shoulder. "Let him go sit with her. He's her partner, and her medical proxy." And he believed with absolute certainty that Olivia would heal faster with Elliot by her side.

Jennings nodded and motioned for Elliot to follow him.

Elliot looked at his coworkers, unable to speak.

Fin nodded at him. "Take care of our girl, Stabler."

He swallowed hard and nodded, then followed the doctor out of the waiting room.

In the hall, Jennings looked at Elliot. "Is your first name Elliot?"

Elliot nodded numbly.

Jennings reached into his pocket and retrieved an object. "She regained conscious briefly while we were prepping her for surgery. She had this around her neck and was quite adamant that you got it." He dropped the necklace into Elliot's shaking hand.

He stared at the necklace as a lump formed in his throat. She had received it as a present on her sixteenth birthday from her mother in a rare moment of sobriety, and she had always talked about giving it to her daughter if she ever had one.

Her fingers closed tightly around the chain. She had thought she was dying, and she wanted him to have it… He blinked rapidly and silently followed Jennings into the Intensive Care Unit.

"Normally visits are restricted to fifteen minutes, but since you are her only family, I'll speak with the nurses."

Elliot nodded numbly as they quietly entered Olivia's room.

Jennings stood back at the door and allowed Elliot to move forward. "We have her on very strong medications, so she most likely will not regain consciousness until tomorrow, at the earliest."

Elliot didn't respond. His attention was focused completely on his partner, lying there in that hospital bed and surrounded by too many machines. He had never seen her so frail, so…vulnerable, and he hated it. His feet finally carried him forward, to her side, and he exhaled shakily.

"Liv…"

Reaching out, he rested a gentle hand over his, stifling a soft groan.

Jennings watched him for a minute. "If you need anything, just hit the nurse's call button."

Elliot grunted softly, too focused on his partner to even turn around.

The doctor stayed for a moment longer, then turned and quietly left the room.

The door closed quietly, and Elliot looked around the room. Spotting a chair, he slowly pulled it up to Olivia's side and sat down in it. Then he took her hand again and brought it up to his lips, and without thinking about it, kissed her knuckles gently. Normally he never allowed himself the pleasure of such intimate contact, but unlike before, there was nothing holding him back.

The expression on her face didn't change, and the respirator beside her bed continued to hiss, assuring him that she was still okay.

"Liv…" Gently placing her hand at her side again, he hesitated before running the backs of his fingers over her soft, warm cheek. "Please… be okay."

Leaning forward, he rested his head lightly on her uninjured shoulder. Then he closed his eyes and finally let the tears that he had been holding back fall.

TBC...

A/N: Don't shoot! *hides under bigger rock*


	4. And Never Let Her Go

Sorry about the delay in an update with this story. We suddenly had to move, and while I'm still not completely unpacked, I've finally been able to work on the newest chapter of this. But I lost direction in it, and since I have a plot bunny demanding that I work on a few new oneshots for SVU and CI, I decided to make this the final chapter. So get ready for angst, and FLUFF FLUFF FLUFF! LOL. Enjoy, and please remember to review!

Disclaimer: Not mine!

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Three days later, Cragen nodded at the nurses as he walked through the I.C.U. Olivia still hadn't regained consciousness, and Elliot hadn't left her side. So he, Munch and Fin had taken it on themselves to drop off clean clothes, food, and occasionally a child to Elliot.

He juggled the bags of food in his arms and walked into Olivia's room, nodding at his detective. "Lunch time." He set the bags down, then moved to the opposite of Olivia's bed. "Is she… any better?"

Elliot scrubbed his hand over his face. "No change," he answered wearily. At that moment, he would have traded his life to be able to say anything else.

Reaching down, Cragen gently smoothed his calloused hand over Olivia's hair, then sighed heavily. He had never had children of his own, and he had always seen Olivia as a daughter. And seeing her fighting for her life in a hospital bed was breaking his heart. His thumb gently caressed her forehead. "Munch is going to stop by in a few hours, and Fin will be here tonight."

Elliot barely nodded. He had barely slept since he was first allowed into Olivia's room, and when he managed to close his eyes, his dreams were filled with the sounds of her screams and the sight of her blood all over the ground. His large hand unconsciously squeezed her smaller one tighter at the memory of the dream.

The older man studied his two detectives, then kissed Olivia's forehead softly. He didn't care that he was her superior. Right now, she was his friend and he was her surrogate father, determined to take care of her.

Why couldn't she see…? Someone kissed her forehead, and something damp brushed against her skin. Tears…? Was someone crying? She didn't know what was going on, and before she could figure it out, darkness pulled her down into its depths again.

Cragen reluctantly pulled away, gently caressing her hair again before reluctantly leaving her side. "I can't stay. Call me if anything changes."

"Yeah," Elliot mumbled, barely paying attention.

Cragen gently patted Elliot's shoulder, then left the room again.

Once he was gone, Elliot leaned forward in his chair and rubbed Olivia's arm. "Come on, Liv," he whispered. "Wake up for me." He ran his fingers gently through her soft chestnut hair. "Please?"

There was no response to his heartfelt plea.

Two more days passed, and Elliot was past his point of breaking. Olivia was still showing no signs of waking up, making her doctor and Elliot more and more nervous. They both knew that the more time that passed, the smaller her chances became of ever regaining consciousness.

Maureen had just left after bringing the twins for a visit, and Elliot made sure that they were gone before sitting on the edge of Olivia's bed. He didn't care if it was allowed or not; he needed to be close to her. Picking up her hand, he gently drew it into his lap and caressed her palm.

"Come on, Liv," he murmured as tears filled his eyes. "You need to wake up."

_Elliot_… She fought her way through the muddled mess as a persistent beeping became more clear. He sounded so upset, and she didn't know why. But she knew that she had to make him feel better.

He gently slid his fingers along her arm. "You saved my son's life, and I'll never be able to repay you for it. But… if you don't wake up…" He rested his damp cheek against her hand and closed his eyes.

Her eyelashes fluttered against her pale skin as she struggled toward consciousness. She could feel stubbled skin against her palm, and her brow furrowed. _What the_…? Suddenly a myriad of alarms went off as she struggled to breathe on her own.

Elliot immediately raised his head as she fought the ventilator. "Liv?" He hit the button to summon a nurse. "Olivia, can you hear me?" Leaning forward, he gently cupped her face in his calloused hands. "Olivia?"

Her partner's gentle voice rang in her ears, and after an impossibly hard struggle, she finally managed to open her eyes.

Tears of relief filled Elliot's eyes as he smoothed his hand over her cheek. "That's it, Liv… Don't fight the ventilator. There's a nurse coming right now. They'll take it out. Just try to relax…"

A doctor and several nurses hurried into the room, and one nurse gently guided Elliot away from the bed. "Give us room to work." Then she let him go and hurried back to the bed, where the doctor was carefully assessing Olivia.

It took all of Elliot's strength to remain where he was and not run back to Olivia's side. Instead he crossed his arms tightly over his chest and shifted impatiently.

Olivia was quickly extubated, and once her doctor was satisfied with her breathing, he left the bed while a nurse urged Olivia to drink a little water.

Finally one of the nurses waved Elliot over, and he gladly hurried back to the bed, meeting his partner's eyes. "Liv…"

The nurse watched her heart monitor for a minute, then gently patted Olivia's hand. "Just take it easy, Miss Benson. If you start to feel tired, don't fight it. And if you need anything, just hit that button right there." She smiled at Elliot, then left the room.

When the door closed, Elliot sat down on the edge of Olivia's bed, his cerulean eyes searching her chocolate brown depths.

She saw the worry in his eyes, and she managed a small but reassuring smile for him.

When she smiled, he nearly collapsed at the relief that flooded through his entire being. Then she whispered his name, and that tore him apart. With a soft groan, he leaned forward and rested his head on her chest, sliding a strong arm around her.

Surprised by the sudden display of physical affection, Olivia managed to wrap an arm around him. Then she rested her chin on the top of his head. "It's okay," she assured him, her voice hoarse from the ventilator. "Everything's okay…"

He buried his face in the soft material of her hospital gown, barely able to catch his breath. She was awake… She was awake, aware, and talking to him…

Her eyes closed as she continued to hold him. Her mind was fuzzy on the details, but whatever had happened, it must have been very bad. Bad enough to make her hardass, tough as nails, no bullshit partner cry.

His free hand wrapped itself tightly around her waist, and finally he managed to lift his head long enough to look into her sleepy brown eyes. "Liv…"

She was already exhausted again, but she lifted her hand and placed it gently against his stubbled cheek. Then she managed a soft smile for him. "I'm okay," she croaked, gently wiping a tear away from his cheek.

He leaned into her hand and sighed, closing his eyes. He had been so afraid that he would never see those beautiful eyes again, or feel her tender touch on his skin. But here they were, and instead of him comforting her, it was the other way around. And for the first time that he could remember, he willingly accepted it.

She continued to stroke his cheek until she felt sleep pulling at her. She was reluctant to give in, but the urge was strong. And with Elliot there with her, any fear that she had was swept away by his strong hand.

He took care of her. He always had, and she had every faith that he always would.

A half hour later, Cragen walked into the ICU, accompanied by Fin, Munch and Alex. They all nodded at the nurses, who waved at them in return.

Cragen led the other three to the observation window that let them see into Olivia's room. He expected to see Olivia still unconscious, and Elliot at her side. So he was surprised when he saw Elliot on the bed, with Olivia cradled in his arms like a delicate porcelain doll.

He frowned with concern and prepared himself to walk into the room and give Elliot a talking to, until he saw Olivia stir and snuggle deeper into Elliot's embrace. He brought his hand up to his mouth, surprised and relieved.

Fin nudged his captain with his elbow. "Did you see that, Cap?" he whispered, his deep voice exuding surprise and a hint of delight.

Cragen nodded slowly. "She's awake…"

Alex had seen what they had seen, and in her relief, she hugged Munch tightly.

Munch was obviously shocked, but he slid his arms around her slender waist and hugged her to him, thankful for the dark sunglasses that hid his tears of joy.

In the room, Elliot absently smoothed his large hand over Olivia's hair, then tenderly kissed her temple. He marveled at how, even though she was so weak and frail, she felt so strong to him. She was going to get through this, and again he felt tears gather in his eyes. Except for his children, no one stirred such a deep surge of emotions but her.

Olivia sighed tiredly, but something at the window caught her attention. She focused on the movement and smiled when she saw their boss and colleagues watching them. "El…"

He looked down at her, worried. "What's wrong, Liv?" he murmured.

She pointed to the window, and he followed it, summoning a smile for the people standing outside.

When they saw Elliot smile and Olivia's eyes, all three men nearly collapsed with relief.

"She's gonna be okay," Fin muttered again and again, and Munch squeezed his partner's shoulder.

"She is, but she's tired. We should all get home." The older detective smiled at the woman he considered to be like a sister to him.

Cragen nodded in agreement. "Good idea, Munch. Elliot will look after her, and he'll call us if anything happens." But he made no attempt to move.

Fin waved at Olivia, grinning when she waved back at him. "I'll be back, baby girl," he mouthed to her before reluctantly leaving the observation window.

Cragen followed him shortly after, leaving only Munch and Alex at the window.

Alex was still in his arms, and neither made a move to pull away. "She looks like she's going to be okay," he finally murmured, his fingers absently playing with a strand of thick, blonde hair.

Alex nodded, enjoying the feel of John's embrace and the sensation of his hand in her hair. "She'll be just fine," she murmured. Then she looked up at him, her light blue eyes filled with something he couldn't quite identify. "Maybe… we should get out of here…"

He smiled warmly, removing his sunglasses and placing them in the pocket of his shirt. "Let's go," he replied, glancing at Olivia one more time before he guided Alex away from the observation window and out of the Intensive Care Unit.

Elliot and Olivia watched them walk away. Then he looked at his sleepy partner, and he was again selfishly thankful that she was still with him. The bastard that had shot her was going away for the rest of his life, and before he knew it he would be able to take his partner home.

Olivia caught him staring, and she smiled sleepily. "See something interesting, Stabler?" she teased, unable to hold in a deep yawn.

He gently smoothed her hair away from her olive colored skin. "Always, Benson," he replied easily, nuzzling her thick, chestnut hair.

She let him pull her closer to his chest, lulled by the sound of his beating heart.

When he was certain that she had fallen asleep in his arms, he finally let himself relax entirely. His best friend was safe in his embrace, and he could prevent any harm from touching her. He slowly moved his hand through her hair, then pulled a blanket around her and tucked her in. "Don't ever leave me, Liv," he finally whispered into her hair. Then he kissed the top of her head and closed his eyes.

Tomorrow, he would have to make sure Eli was brought up to see her.

The End!

A/N: See, fluff?? I hadn't expected to end it so soon, but what the muse wants... Oh, and who else is pissed that Alex is leaving... AGAIN???? Thanks for reading, and please remember to review!


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